Lovoa trichilioides

syn. L. klaineana

African-Walnut

Lovoa

Tigerwood

Family: Meliaceae

Other Common Names: Mpengwa (Ghana), Anamemila, Apopo, Sida (Nigeria), Bombulu (Zaire), Dibetou (Gabon, Ivory Coast), Congowood, Tigerwood (United States).

Distribution: West Tropical Africa from Sierra Leone to Gabon; occurs in evergreen and deciduous forests, preferring moist sites, tends to be gregarious.

The Tree: May attain a height of 150 ft; boles straight and cylindrical, clear to 60 to 90 ft. trunk diameters to 4 ft above short buttresses.

The Wood:

General Characteristics: Heartwood yellowish brown, sometimes marked with dark streaks or veins; sapwood buff or light gray, narrow, clearly demarcated. Texture fine to medium; grain usually interlocked with an attractive ribbon figure; lustrous cedarlike scent.

Weight: Basic specific gravity (ovendry weight/green volume) 0.45; air-dry density 34 pcf.

Mechanical Properties: (2-cm standard)

Moisture content Bending strength Modulus of elasticity Maximum crushing strength

(%) (Psi) (1,000 psi) (Psi)

Green (9) 8,200 1,060 4,320

12% 11,900 1,340 6,990

12%(44) 12,600 NA 6,400

Janka side hardness 690 lb for green material and 940 lb for dry. Amsler toughness 195 in.-lb at 12% moisture content (2-cm specimen).

Drying and Shrinkage: Dries fairly rapidly with little degrade, existing heart shake may extend. Kiln schedule T6-D2 is suggested for 4/4 stock and T3-D1 for 8/4. Shrinkage green to 12% moisture content: radial about 2.0%; tangential about 5.0%. Movement in service is rated as small.

Working Properties: Easy to work but sharp tools are required to avoid tearing, particularly when machining quartersawn faces. Good gluing properties, moderate steam-bending properties.

Durability: Heartwood is rated as moderately durable, liable to dry-wood termite attack. Sapwood liable to powder-post beetle attack.

Preservation: Heartwood is rated as extremely resistant to preservative treatments; sapwood is moderately resistant.

Uses: Furniture and cabinetwork, decorative veneers, paneling, joinery, shop fixtures, gunstocks.

Additional Reading: (3), (6), (9), (44)

M 150 282-3Logs are delivered to a sawmill in southern Nigeria. African mahogany

(mostly Khaya ivorensis) is in high demand on overseas markets. Export of logs fro

this region, as well as from most other tropical areas, is being restricted.